OV735 From Estonia, joined Jan 2004, 853 posts, RR: 2 Posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 17 hours ago) and read 26026 times:
My friend, working at TLL, just called me and told he witnessed the daily flight from Malmö, an Exin An-26 (scheduled to be SP-FDO), crash on short final onto the lake Ülemiste. He said apparently the crew is out of the aircraft and everyone's ok, however the plane is starting to sink through ice covering the lake.
I'll go to work now, see if I can get some pictures.
It was a regular DHL flight from Helsinki. On a first attempt the crew reported problems with the landing gear and on the second approach also with the engine. Finally, they landed on a lake, just after the end of the runway, on the other side of the very busy highway.
Right now the rescue teams are trying to offload the cargo and fuel in order to drag the plane off the ice.
affirmative From France, joined Jul 2009, 276 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 12 hours ago) and read 16465 times:
Looking at the pictures it actually looks like a ditching. The main gear is collapsed and this plane can easily handle a landing on a frozen lake.. And given that both engines are feathered that would suggest a flameout on both engines and feathering to extend the glide. If it's not a mistake that is.. Either way it looks like they find a pretty ok place to set the bird down on..
On a side note, there was a huge rumble about these planes in Sweden a couple of years back. About them not being certified for commercial ops in Sweden because of them being too noisy and too dirty but the companies using them went around it by using wetleased a/c from the Baltic countries.
Treg From Estonia, joined Oct 2001, 524 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 11 hours ago) and read 15265 times:
Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 6): I wonder what they will do, drag it to the shore and then scrap it, or repair it and then fly it back off the lake?
You must be kidding, right?
It is ca 100 meters from the shore. The only problem is that the ice is not thick enough. The rescue teams are afraid that it will sink before they can drag it ashore. And that particular lake is Tallinn's water reservoir.
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 10397 posts, RR: 66 Reply 8, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 11 hours ago) and read 15069 times:
Quoting Treg (Reply 7): You must be kidding, right?
Nope, if the ice was thick enough and there was enough distance, I don't see why not. But as you say, if the ice might not be thick enough to hold the plane up, then it's not an option. A rusting/leaking An-26 isn't what you want in your water supply either.
OV735 From Estonia, joined Jan 2004, 853 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (2 years 2 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 7793 times:
Quoting affirmative (Reply 5): Looking at the pictures it actually looks like a ditching. The main gear is collapsed and this plane can easily handle a landing on a frozen lake.. And given that both engines are feathered that would suggest a flameout on both engines and feathering to extend the glide. If it's not a mistake that is.. Either way it looks like they find a pretty ok place to set the bird down on..
The right engine is said to have been functioning well, however the left one had flamed out. As to why the aircraft was unable to climb of accelerate on one engine, I have no idea.
affirmative From France, joined Jul 2009, 276 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 2 months 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 5117 times:
Quoting OV735 (Reply 11): The right engine is said to have been functioning well, however the left one had flamed out. As to why the aircraft was unable to climb of accelerate on one engine, I have no idea.
Rate of climb on one engine in landing config is usually very low. And if this was encountered close to the ground with little time to clean up the plane you're in a very sticky situation. But it still doesn't explain why both engines are feathered.
Landing config and feathered props seems very odd.. If you have a dual flameout the first thing you do is clean up the plane to minimize drag. This wasn't done. He left everything out..
Well.. I guess the questions will be answered eventually.
An Exin Antonov AN-26 on behalf of DHL, registration SP-FDO performing freight flight EXN-3589 from Helsinki (Finland) to Tallinn (Estonia) with 6 crew, received an unsafe indication for the left hand main gear while on approach to Tallinn prompting the crew to go around. During the go around at around 10:18L (08:18Z) the airplane encountered engine problems causing the airplane to descend through bushes at the shore of Lake Ulemiste and forcing the crew to touch down on the ice cover of the lake. Two people received injuries, one of them was hospitalized. The airplane received substantial damage.
Estonian Authorities reported, that fuel was leaking from the aircraft into Lake Ulemiste, the drinking water reservoir for Tallinn. Emergency services took action to capture, bind and remove the fuel, the water quality has not been impaired. The fuel has been pumped off the aircraft in the meantime. The water quality is being monitored.
Autorities also reported, that the airplane could be stabilised resting on its fuselage and engines, the airplane has been supported to prevent it from breaking through the ice.
Authorities announced on Mar 19th, that after completing to pump off all fuel the airplane has been successfully pulled from the lake during the night and reached the shore by about 06:45am local.
Estonia's Rescue Board said on Mar 19th, that 2 of 3 tons of fuel were recovered from the airplane, less than one ton leaked partly evaporating, partly mixing with binding material and snow. Binding material and contaminated snow were removed from the accident site. Analysis of the water has not revealed any contamination with fuel or oil.
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From Estonia, joined Jan 2004, 853 posts, 
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From Latvia, joined Aug 2006, 120 posts, 
From France, joined Jul 2009, 276 posts, 
From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 10397 posts, 
But as you say, if the ice might not be thick enough to hold the plane up, then it's not an option. A rusting/leaking An-26 isn't what you want in your water supply either.
From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2005, 3618 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 98 posts, 
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